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Flax Jacks Pancakes (paleo, starch-free, keto, low carb)

These Flax Jacks remind me of the buckwheat pancakes I used to enjoy eating before I went grain/starch free. To me, this version is just as filling, and they still have that “whole grain” taste, even though they are grain free!

These Flax Jax Pancakes are a great addition to the my “grain free bakery” recipes. And talk about affordable! In most stores in the US, you can easily find whole flax seeds for a $2 to $3 per pound, ( I pay just $1.73 per pound for Organic flax seeds in bulk) and for this recipe we are only using a fraction of a pound, making this recipe cost less than $1 per serving. I prefer to buy whole golden flax seeds in bulk, store them in the freezer, and then grind them in this coffee grinder right before using. You can also buy them pre-ground as flax meal. It is recommended to store the ground flax meal in the fridge or freezer to prevent it from going rancid. This recipe will totally work with ground up dark brown flax meal too, I just happen to prefer the look of the golden flax, and find the taste to be more mellow. The other main ingredient for this recipe is the egg I use at about $0.35 per egg, and I feel good about buying pastured chicken eggs from our neighbor’s farm.

And to save money on lemon juice, I buy these jars of pure lemon and lime juice at Whole Foods for around $3.50 per jar, which last about 6 to 8 weeks in the fridge, or you can order them from amazon. You also have the option to omit the lemon juice, or just use a little apple cider vinegar instead to save yourself a few more pennies.

This is quickly becoming one of my top favorite breakfast recipes and I hope you enjoy them too! They have only 1 net carb per serving, and the are loaded with fiber! So not only do they taste great and fill you up, but they also help keep your digestive system moving. I like to top these flax jacks with berries or my favorite no-sugar added berry jams like this blackberry jam or this one from Crofters. Whole Foods has a new line of fruit sweetened, no refined sugar added berry jams for just $2.99 a jar, just $0.25 per serving. Of course pure maple syrup is really tasty too!

What tricks have you found for saving money on a grain-free diet?

This is my answer to the MIM – “Mug in a Muffin” Recipes out there that are made quickly by microwaving. I am not a fan of microwaves and love this recipe as it really only takes an extra couple of minutes compared to the popular MIM recipes! They remind me of the buckwheat pancakes I used to love before going starch free!

Instructions

If your batter is too thick, add a little more liquid. The batter will be sticky, and that is what you want, but it also needs to be wet enough to properly spread out the pancakes.

Heat a skillet or fry pan up to medium heat, add cooking fat/oil.

For fool proof pancakes make sure you pan/skillet is hot enough before adding any batter. You are shooting for a thoroughly heated pan set at medium heat (or for my stove this is set *just below medium heat*), patience is key for making sure the pan is at the right temp before adding the batter.

Spoon the batter onto the cooking surface and form 3 pancakes, using the spoon to gently push the batter around to form your pancakes. Ground flax seed + water acts a bit like glue together, and these pancakes will hold together really well when flipping, so that is a plus!

Cook pancakes for about a minute or two per side. Generally once bubbles appear in your pancake batter, they are ready to flip.

The key to perfect flaxjacks is making sure they are thoroughly cooked, but not burnt. Burnt flax taste yucky – so try hard not to burn them, while at the same time making sure they are thoroughly cooked. It’s a bit of an art, but you will get the hang of it!

Great question. When I tried to make these pancakes without the egg, they didn’t set up right and were a mess. The batter just bubbled in the pan and didn’t hold together. Nor did it get nice and fluffy.

And these pancakes are dairy free already. Some people confuse eggs with dairy, since they are sold in the same section of the store, but dairy includes milks, cheese, butter, made from a mother’s milk, the mammary glads of a mammal. Eggs do not fit this definition, and they technically considered a protein (meat), not a dairy food. I am allergic to dairy as it contains casein and lactose, which eggs do not.

Thanks a lot for the reply! I’m aware that eggs are unrelated to milk proteins. I’ve actually had an IgG-ELISA food sensitivity test, and it showed that I happen to be sensitive to both milk and eggs (both yolk and albumen), among other things, such as wheat and pineapple. (This type of test shows which foods overstimulate a type of antibody that mediates delayed-onset reactions, which are responsible for most chronic diseases, not the more famous immediate-onset allergic reactions.) Anyway, I’ve been watching Stephanie Person on Youtube about ketogenic diet. She’s got so much energy and says the diet fights aging and inflammation too! So I might give it a go to see if it cures my psoriasis. She’s already very strict — no cheese, nuts, or caffeine — but I might try also eliminating eggs. I’ll definitely let you know if I find a pancake recipe that works!

The thing to always reeebmmr if you are going to eat bacon and eggs is to accompany it with plenty of salt and coffee, really strong coffee. Why? It’s deceptively simple when you consider salt raises your blood pressure and when combined with the metabolism enhancement of caffeine it helps to push the cholesterol right through your arteries. But wait, it doesn’t stop there. Coffee is a proven anti oxidant and the preservatives used in the bacon (although not scientifically proven and based only on pure idle speculation) may actually prevent breakdown at the cellular level. Of course there is that pesky detail of carcinogens, but if you look past that you’ve almost have a breakfast that approaches a health food label, at worst a meal that is benign in it’s effect on your health. As long as you reeebmmr salt and coffee, otherwise you are doomed.

Interesting theory there with the salt and coffee, I love my pink Himalayan sea salt! And I am currently loving my roasted dandelion root coffee every morning, even drinking one right now, (full recipe on this website) with a little toasted carob and chicory thrown in. I have also read endless claims on the detox benefits associated with dandelion root also. It’s good for stimulating bile production, shown to contribute to GI health, and is a powerful blood and liver detoxifier. Plus is just makes me feel good. So thankful that the foods that are actually good for us taste so great and feel so good!

I am going to try this with a gelatin egg- I am in the reintroduction stages of AIP and can’t eat eggs yet 🙁 I will report back with the results!
Also, do you think these would work made into waffles? Maybe a little less liquid?
Thanks so much for the recipe! It looks great!

So excited to try these! I’m following a dairy-free ketogenic diet, so it’s been super hard finding recipes, especially for breakfast, that don’t have a half a cow’s worth of dairy in it. 😀 On my list for tomorrow morning!

I just made these this morning and enjoyed them very much! A couple sliced strawberries were the perfect topping for me. I will definitely make this a part of my breakfast routine from now on. Thanks for this recipe!

I was directed to your site from MyFitnessPal looking for nutrition info on Flax Jacks, (that I eat pretty much every day). I found them near the end of Page 11 of your recipes, but I must say there was 10 pages of Fascinating recipes and ideas – no shortage of dandelions in my yard so those muffins will get a go.
A personal note on Flax Jacks – you use lemon, but haven’t noticed others that do. I do the Moroccan Lemons (brined) and love lemon, so using them in pretty much everything! I know I am throwing the carb/calorie thing a bit out of whack but to make these more moist and pleasing to me, but I use
-one egg, about 1/3 C heavy cream, (fork whip) add 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 big splashes vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, full tsp cinnamon, finely chopped 1/4 of a Moroccan lemon – mix all that then add the flax meal last to get the consistency I want- not too pasty, yet not runny either. (I’m a guy so measuring precision isn’t that important) I don’t add any salt as the brined lemon takes care of that – also save whatever I can of the lemon pulp, just remove all the membrane – chop with the peel.
Sorry this is so long – Love your recipes!

Love the idea of using preserved lemon! A friend gave me a jar once, and you’ve got me thinking I need to get my hands on another jar – or try making them! – as they are so handy for adding flavor to various dishes and salad dressings.

So I haven’t tried freezing these pancakes yet, but I developed my favorite muffin recipe based on these pancakes and the muffins easily last for a week in the fridge and freeze well for a couple months too.

In baking the acid from lemon juice reacts with the baking soda to help the pancakes (or dough) rise. Because regular “baking powder” usually has corn starch in it, I create the same effect using an acid like lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar mixed with baking soda in my recipes. If you normally use baking powder, feel free to use it instead. And even if you leave out the lemon juice the pancakes will still turn out fine.

Hey Andrea – not sure who I first got the Flax Jacks idea from but huge thanks to them – what a great low car high fat rid the grains pancake, and thanks to you for your version. I said rid the grains, which is not true but the carbs/fiber almost balances out. The original version I saw was too dry but I loved the concept and did some mods. If anyone does Moroccan Lemons, I use 1/4 of a lemon, flesh included (strip the membranes) fine chop the peel. No salt additive required if you do this. Other things I do is HEAPING teaspoon of cinnamon, quarter cup of heavy cream (replace your nut milk) and major sploshes of vanilla. At the end of the day I add flax meal to the consistency I want – usually 1/4-1/3 cup.
Andrea, I have not tried yours and they are likely better, but I like the ones I make a lot!
Ever since becoming a low carb high fat mindset I find I am so much a better chef – willing to explore I guess.
Thanks for sharing your recipes!

Love the idea of the Moroccan Lemons! A friend made me a jar year ago, but I must get my hands on another one. I also agree that cinnamon and vanilla help elevate these flax jacks into worthy pancake status. Thanks so much for taking time to drop by!

Hi Andrea (and Jasmine)
I use lemon in darn near everything!
If I haven’t zested them I save up orange and lemon peels and make fruit candy with stevia syrup and coating. The only part of a lemon (or orange) that goes to waste in my kitchen is the membrane

That is so brilliant that you found a way to make candy fruit peels with stevia! Love it!

Now that we have a small greenhouse on our little farm here in Oregon, I plan to add a Meyer lemon tree to it and see how it does! My mother in law, who lives nearby, has one in her greenhouse and she’s gotten up to 50 Meyer lemons off of it in a season.